Course DescriptionIn this course, you will gain a broader understanding and appreciation of literature through the study of great works of drama, poetry, and fiction. You will study major literary genres, working with key terms, classifications, and theories. You will practice the discovery and creation of meaning in literary texts through close reding. You will also further develop your critical writing skills.

ReadingIf class is cancelled for any reason, we stay on schedule, as defined below.

VocabularyWe will develop a short list of vocabulary words that we will memorize, use often in class discussion, and work into our papers. These will be literary terms and other words that help us interpret literature.

QuizzesWe'll have a brief quiz for every class. These will vary in format. The lowest 20% of quiz scores will be dropped (i.e., if we have 40 quizzes, the best 32 will make your grade). You cannot make up quizzes that you miss because of absence or tardiness.

Three Perspicuity PapersOn any three of the five Fridays between September 16 and October 21, you will submit a double-spaced, typed, one-page paper that presents an interpretation of some details in one of our readings.

Two PapersYou will write two double-spaced, typed, three-page papers that present a coherent argument supported by a close reading of one of our texts. I will assign topics for these papers two weeks before they are due.

Attendance and participationYour attendance grade is the percentage of classes that you attend. Your participation grade reflects your day-to-day contribution to the class. All students are expected to respect the worth and contribution of everyone in the classroom. Your attendance and participation grade is the product of your attendance grade and your participation grade. For example, if you attend 90% of the classes, and earn 95% for participation, your attendance and participation grade is 90% x 95% or 86%.

Attendance policy(1) Missing 20% of class warrants failure. (2) There are no excused absences. If you miss class, I trust that you miss class for a good reason. It is not fair to accept some reasons as better than other reasons; I regard all excuses as equally valid. (3) I do not require an explanation for an absence. If you miss class, I will assume that you missed class for a good reason. I respect your privacy and do not need to know why. On the other hand, I will be concerned. So if you care to tell me, I will listen. (4) I will keep a careful record of the number of times you are absent, but I will not bring this to class. (5) You are responsible for keeping your own accurate record of days late and days absent.

SUMMARIZE – v – To cover the main points, to repeat the facts of something (e.g. a story, a poem, a play). Summary is easy. Compare with INTERPRET.

INTERPRET – v – To explain or tell the meaning of something (e.g. a story, a poem, a play), to make or find meaning that is not obvious. Interpretation can be hard. Compare with SUMMARIZE.

AMBIGUITY – n – The result of something being stated in such a way that its meaning cannot be definitely determined; some of the major causes of ambiguity are pronouns without the proper referents, the use of words that have multiple meanings, unusual syntax, and inordinate brevity. Note that ambiguity can make summary, at the start, appear difficult. See SUMMARY, INTERPRET.

DENOTATION – n – The direct meaning of a word, phrase, sentence, or paragraph, as comprised of dictionary definitions. A summary of a text should focus on the denotation of the words. Compare with CONNOTATION.

CONNOTATION – n – The suggesting of a meaning by a word, phrase, sentence, or paragraph, apart from its explicit denotation. An interpretation of a text might focus on the connotation of the words. Compare with DENOTATION.

CLOSE READING – n – The thorough and nuanced analysis of a literary text, with particular emphasis on the interrelationships among its constituent elements (allusions, images, tensions, etc.). See INTERPRET.

=end of documentThis document was originally posted to jonmiller.org. Copyright 2006 by Jon Miller. Some rights reserved. See jonmiller.org for more information.=end of document